Caramel the Orange Cat

Another cat portrait today. I tried a softer shading style with this one. I was feeling a little lazy so I was hoping to come up with a quicker, sloppier shading style that didn't compromise on the finished look. Still prefer the crisp shading, but that's what experiments are for, I guess.

"Caramel", Digital, February 2013

There's a gift shop in town with decorative items like paper mache cats and painted wooden giraffes. I always liked that they gave each piece a name on the price tag. You weren't just buying a mosaic penguin, you were buying a mosaic penguin named "Larry". I think that's adorable. So I'm thinking about naming the critters I draw. This handsome fellow I'm calling Caramel (most likely because My Kitchen Rules was playing in the background while I was drawing him).

Loving the gradient backgrounds too.

The Forgotten Cow

I'm actually really excited right now. I'm finally biting the bullet and putting scrapbooking papers and clipart into my Etsy store. While going through my art folders (which are extensive and messy) I came across this little gem which I'd entirely forgotten about.

"The Forgotten Cow", Digital, September 2011

Over a whole year ago I drew this cow and a brown compatriot. I'll have to draw another to make a nice set of three. I really love finding old art that you still like. It's encouraging to think you won't shudder to look at your current work 12 months from now (maybe 10 years from now, if my early stuff is anything to go by, but I dunno).

I'd like to print this one out to use as wallart. Would look great with an emerald green scrapbook pattern behind her. My previous interior design efforts have been propped up against my desk since the stick-on-wall-hook debarcle (read: those crappy stick on hooks fell off and dropped my artwork on the floor). Who knew a company famous for sticky notes might use glues that aren't really suitable for holding things on walls long term? Maybe I should get some real hooks on the wall above my bed so I can be sure my new decorative pieces won't fall on my head while I'm sleeping. Just a thought.

Anyway, pleased with my cow, and will hopefully have a link to my newly restocked Etsy shop soon.

Walking Cat

This is a photomanipulation from last year. I was using my phone to take photos of my friend's sister's cat (read: being an oddball) and I thought this one had interesting composition. The problem was, the cat was walking quickly in a dimly lit room at the time and the picture was blurred. After playing a bit in Photoshop, I got this posterised, slightly abstract version which I quite like. Playing with the saturation had some interesting effects too, considering this was a cream coloured cat on cream coloured carpet.

"Walking Cat", Photomanipulation, April 2012

Wow, didn't realise I made this so long ago until I checked the date on the file. My art endevours really were quite  sporadic last year. At least now I have my blog to keep me on track. That is, if I have something new to post before another week has flown by. I've been working on abstracts for scrapbooking papers again today, and though I love them, I don't know if I want a huge streak of blog posts devoted to them.

Maybe I should colour that beagle I sketched yesterday...

Poppies (Also, My Lack of Botanical Knowledge)

More from my series of Valentines flowers. This time, I've drawn some poppies. Well, I'm calling them poppies anyway. The references I was using weren't poppies but I don't know what they actually are, so poppies it is.

"Not Poppies", Photoshop, January 2013

They were originally yellow, but I think I like the red more. Not enough to get rid of the yellow version, just enough to be very slightly indecisive and annoying about it. Again, if you'd like a print of this image, feel free to ask about it.

The Orange Neighbour Cat

I like to take pictures of people's pets. I always try to grab a few photos on my phone whenever I come across a dog or cat. This picture is based on a photo of my neighbours cat when it wandered over to our house one day. I thought it was an interesting photo, but had a few artistic flaws which I made magically disappear with artistic licence (my brother sitting just inside the frame, for example).

Looking at it now, I probably should have used a couple of shades of orange fur to get his cute little head markings, but aah well. Maybe next time I draw him. Overall, I'm very pleased with how it came out, especially the background. I've seen pet portraits with patterned, busy backgrounds by other artists and I like the effect. I'd like to work more of my patterns into the rest of my art.

"On a Mission", Photoshop, January 2013

Two Owls

Well, it's December 21st, 2012. The day the Aztecs apparently predicted that the world would end (you know, according to various highly credible internet loons). This sort of lighthearted end of days talk always makes me feel anxious. Not because I feel like it's actually going to happen, but because I'm deeply bothered by the idea of it happening. Whenever someone mentions how fun it would be cracking zombie heads or outwitting looters, I can't help but think about the things I would lose. Particularly the people I would lose.

There are people and things in this life I care very deeply about, and one of my very greatest fears is losing them.  Which makes me sad and anxious, but it also pleases me greatly that there are things in my life that I care for so much that I'm terrified to let them go. The fact that I can lose them means that at least I have them, for this brief moment.

EDIT: This rant went on for a bit, and I don't really think this is the place for it. So enjoy the pretty picture. And the things you love in your life.

"Two Owls", Crayola Coloured Pencil on Printer Paper, A4, December 2012

This picture is a Christmas present for my dad. He likes owls, so I drew a father owl with a baby. I'd like to have done more patterns and textures, but I didn't want to mess it up this close to Christmas and have to start over. I think he'll like it. Hopefully I'll be able to see him again soon. Maybe next year it will be easier.